Socio-Cultural Barriers Influencing Access to Maternal Health Care Services in Lafia L.G.A, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Distance, family size, patriarchy, accessAbstract
One of the major problems confronting the advancement of maternal healthcare in Africa is the access to healthcare services and this is due to certain barriers that hinder women from accessing such services. The objective of this study is to find out the socio-cultural barriers influencing access to maternal healthcare services in Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria with particular emphasis on distance, patriarchy and family size. The health belief model was adopted for the purpose of explaining the barriers in accessing maternal healthcare service. Yamane (1967) formula of sample size determination was used in selecting 400 respondents for the study. Five (5) wards were selected in Lafia LGA for the study using lottery method (fishbowl). Generated data were analyzed showing frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Findings show that distance act as barriers affecting access to maternal healthcare services in Lafia L.G.A., while patriarchy and family size were also factors. The study therefore, recommends strategic placement of healthcare facilities, construction of feeder road to enhance maternal healthcare services in Lafia L.G.A.
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